Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Colby Rasmus hit a two-run home run and finished with three RBI while Henderson Alvarez pitched seven innings of one-run ball as the Toronto Blue Jays took a 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers in the second of three from the Rogers Centre.

Alvarez (7-7) won his second straight start as he gave up five hits and two walks along with four strikeouts for the Blue Jays, who have won three straight and six of eight. Edwin Encarnacion and Yunel Escobar added solo homers in the win.

"I think we battled pretty well out there today," said Rasmus. "We were able to get some good swings when we got good pitches to hit and the guys on the mound did the rest."

Brennan Boesch went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Tigers, who have lost four of their last five.

Making his first start for Detroit on Saturday, Anibal Sanchez (0-1) was touched for five runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six-plus innings. He was acquired from Miami along with Omar Infante on Monday for pitching prospect Jacob Turner.

"Sanchez was fine but I should have taken him out when it was 3-1," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland. "He was in there too long and that was my fault."

This game stayed scoreless until the second inning when the Blue Jays took the lead. Yan Gomes and Anthony Gose singled to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt attempt by Rajai Davis saw Gomes forced out at third, but a wild pitch put Gose on third. Rasmus then hit a sac fly to center for a 1-0 lead.

Detroit got the run back in the fourth as Delmon Young hit a two-out single and Boesch followed with a double to the gap in left-center to tie the game.

It didn't stay tied for long, though, as Encarnacion led off the fourth with his 28th homer of the year.

The Jays made it a 3-1 game in the sixth when Escobar led off the frame with his seventh of the year, a shot to dead center.

Toronto continued to use the long ball in the seventh as Davis led off with a double off the wall in left and Rasmus belted the ball over right for his 18th of the year and a 5-1 lead.

Detroit didn't get a runner past second base after the fourth inning and J.A. Happ pitched the final two innings, issuing just one walk, to close out the game for Toronto.

Game Notes

Toronto left eight men on base as the team went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position...Detroit was 0-for-3 with RISP and stranded five...Sanchez fell to 0-2 against Toronto in his career.